Students Share Concerns Regarding New Lunch Policies

As the clock strikes 11:47 a.m., half the student body floods the halls, desperate to reach their next destination: the cafeteria. 

At the start of the school year, several new lunch policies were introduced. As a result of these new regulations, many issues and concerns arose. 

Tuesday, Principal Ashley Agans announced that Lunch B students who have visual arts or physical education courses are now to be a part of Lunch A. 

Students are frowning upon the new vending machine time limits, the long lines and the overwhelming number of students in the halls and in the cafeteria.  

Senior Meghan Thota is a part of the considerable number of students upset with the new schedule.  

“It’s ridiculous that we need to stuff all these people into lunch in two periods even though it literally doesn’t change the school day at all,” she said. “It barely added any time to our classes.” 

Other students, like junior Molly Hassinger, weren’t as bothered by the number of students in the cafeteria, but instead were pestered by the new vending machine rules.  

Along with Hassinger, students weren’t fond of the vending machines being turned off 30 minutes before and after any period the cafeteria is serving food.  

Hassinger said instead of waiting in the lines for food, she would go to the vending machine instead. Now, she must wait in line like everyone else.  

“I know it’s not just Cambridge. It’s all of Fulton County, but it’s still annoying.” she said.  

Senior Keaton West said he barely eats lunch because the lines are so long. By the time they get smaller, the cafeteria has stopped serving food.  

Aside from practicality concerns, some students share their worry about the health and safety of the student body. 

Sophomore Mackenzie Marks is afraid about the spreading of COVID-19 with the amount of students in close proximity.  

“Seating is so limited especially with COVID-19,” she said. “I just don’t feel safe.” 

Another student, senior Julia Oljniczak wrote a paper for her English class on her fear for students’ health and safety regarding what will happen in the case of an emergency.  

The introduction reads, “This lunch system creates chaos [because] the crowds of kids in the cafeteria create long lines, easier ways for illnesses to spread and could be dangerous in the case of an emergency.”  

Assistant Principal Christina Kim said the administrators are “trying to find patterns” to ensure the traffic during lunch is contained and they can “manipulate the numbers” to create solutions.  

Although it seems like there’s not enough seating during either lunch periods as of now, Kim has confirmed there are enough seats for seasonal weather.  

“Even when lunch B was crowded or appeared to be crowded, we still had about ninety-five seats available in the cafeteria,” she said.  

Kim also said the school has opened the auxiliary gym during lunch for basketball and other athletic activities like yoga to “alleviate the traffic in the cafeteria”.  

Passes have been made available as of Thursday for students to access the gym and the student center during lunch periods.  

Assistant Principal Darius Maize also thinks allowing students to go to these locations will help control the amount of congestion in the lunchroom.  

“Administrators are strategically placed to keep things moving smoothly,” said Maize.